iPhone X Breaks Budgets and Shatters Super Easily. Here’s How to Protect it

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the iPhone X has arrived. Seriously, if you haven’t, you aren’t paying attention. And with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $999, the newest version of Apple’s signature product isn’t cheap either.

Don’t have a grand to cough up for a phone? No worries. I don’t either –– and that might be a good thing.

Why You Shouldn’t Feel Bad About Not Buying the iPhone X

One of this ultra-expensive phone’s most buzzworthy features is its monstrous screen. The 5.8-inch retina display is the biggest of any iPhone, but reports indicate it’s also the least durable.

Is there anything worse than dropping your iPhone? One slip from your hands, and your precious piece of capitalism hits the pavement hard. It’s a sound I’ve cringed over time and time again.

According to a report from ConsumerAffairs, the iPhone X has proven to be “exceptionally fragile” in third-party durability tests. ConsumerAffairs also reports that SquareTrade, a company that sells device protection plans, deemed it the “most breakable phone ever.”

Jason Siciliano, vice president and creative director at SquareTrade, told ConsumerAffairs that the phone has extremely thin glass, making it easily breakable if dropped on any side. Even worse, if the screen breaks, the facial recognition feature no longer works, making the phone completely unusable.

Maybe you purchase AppleCare+ for an additional $199, bringing your grand total to $1,198 before tax, in hopes of having some type of insurance on your phone. That would be ideal, right? Who cares about a broken screen? It’ll be fixed!

I hate to tell you this, but you should care. While the AppleCare+ covers all but $29 to repair a shattered screen, it only covers up to two instances of accidental damage. Drop your phone a third time, and you’re looking at paying up to $549, CNN reports.

Maybe we should be grateful, not embarrassed, at the fact that we don’t have a stack of Benjamins to drop on this new phone (at least, I know I am).

How to Avoid a Disaster With Any New Phone

If you still have your eye on the iPhone X, despite how risky of a purchase it is, let me offer a few words of advice: buy a case.

And if you’re purchasing a different phone, I also have a few words of advice for you: Still buy a case!

Making the initial investment to buy a protective case for your phone helps you avoid costly repairs in the future.

Pro tip: Don’t buy said case at your service provider’s retail store. Phone accessories at those stores can be much more expensive than buying them elsewhere.

Don’t believe me? A Kate Spade case on Sprint’s website lists for $39.99, but you can get a similar one — just in a different color — from Jet.com for $29.99.

Now, if only we could do something about slippery fingers.

Kelly Anne Smith is a junior writer and engagement specialist at The Penny Hoarder. Catch her on Twitter at @keywordkelly.

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